The Wand and the Wolf

29 - Wolfsbane

Kydas POV

I lifted my head, vision still blurry as I tried to focus on the Mia who was stood in front of me. I was bruised and exhausted, dripping with sweat as I hung limply from the wall.

"I don't think she can speak now, even if she tried," I heard Nathaniel say, though I couldn't focus on his shape.

"Hm," she gripped my face in her hand, pressing the tip of her wand into one of my bruises, "are you tired, Kyda?" only a whimper left my mouth as she dug her wand into my side. She laughed, mirthlessly, before releasing me. I let my head hang back down, panting heavily through the pain. I didn't know if it had been hours or days, but the injection of wolfsbane had left me entirely defenceless. I wasn't even healing half as fast as I normally would.

I heard the door swing open, and cool hands gripped my wrists, and I felt the shadows dissolve. I sagged against the person before me, who simply dragged me back along the halls I had come from. I manged to look to the side, vaguely recognising the corridor of cells I had come form as we passed through the doors.

"Oh, girly, what've they done to you?" I heard someone say, vaguely recognising the voice as belonging to Mattise. I couldn't get any of my body to respond to my requests and instead let myself be dumped in my cell.

"Oh, sugar," I heard Mit coo. Soft hands rested on my face and I opened my eyes to see Mit pressed up against the bars of their cell, hands resting on my face. "They did a real number on you, huh?" they asked and I could only sigh. "You close your eyes, I'll let you rest up," Mit said and I followed suit, letting my eyes flutter shut.

I woke up just a little while later, the light of the setting sun still filtering in to my cell. Amotan was sat in my cell, using a wet cloth to wipe down my skin. Mit's hand still rested on my head, though they were wide awake, talking with Amotan in low tones.

"Nice to see you awake," Amotan said, leaning over me. Mit moved their hand back as Amotan helped me sit up, slowly propping me against the bars of the cell. I could feel Mit sitting as physically close to me as they could and I was grateful for the familiar presence. Amotan went back to gently cleaning my skin.

"What are you doing?" I asked, choking on my words from how dry and scratchy my throat was. Amotan brang a glass of water to my lips as Mit rubbed my back.

"You're sweating out the wolfsbane, so I'm cleaning it off your skin to avoid any seeping back in," he said, reaching up and wiping a my face and neck. The cloth was cool and comforting against my skin which felt like it was on fire.

"Wolfsbane," I said weakly and Mit hummed.

"Terrible stuff, and they use it liberally here on your werewolves," they said. I closed my eyes and let Amotan continue, those a few moments later another voice shot down the hall.

"Mit! How's the pup?" Mattise called.

"I'm still alive," I yelled back. My throat was still sore, but I felt more alert as Amotan diligently wiped down my skin. I heard faint laughter float around the corridor and I sighed. I had barely been here two days, yet there was comfort amongst these people, an automatic bond between us all.

"I want you to eat," Amotan said, putting a bowl of slop in my lap. "I managed to steal you an extra scrap of bread," he said with a grin and I cracked a smile. My skin was damp from the wiping, but Amotan gave me a break as he encouraged me to eat.

"Sugar, can you tell us what they want?" Mit asked gently. I felt a shiver run over my body as the events flashed in my mind; blurry, white hot moments of agony and resent.

"They think I'm lying about why I'm here."

"But to go this extreme?" Mit asked.

"There must be something else," Amotan agreed, "something that has them on edge."